A Loss of Me
by Richiied
Summary: One of the hardest things Sasuke could ever go through is something as simple as parenting. With his wife MIA for most of his young sons life Sasuke's been forced to raise this child on his own. What happens when she comes back? SasuSaku SasukeSakura
1. Parents should be Parents

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A Loss of Me. 

Oh. Mai. Gawd. I haven' t written any fan fiction in ages....mostly because there has been nothing worth writing about....or maybe I just haven't been that fired up about an anime in a long time. (Or any couple for that matter.)

I don't own Naruto. Blah.

**Current Chapter Rating: G**

The coupling in this is obvious I think so yay for the Sasusaku readers. Sasuke and Sakura are both 21, both Anbu. Tsunade is still Hokage. I tried to keep Sasuke in character with his usual stoic self but it's hard to make him all ruff and gruff with his own son. I just cant see him being all Ice cold towards his own offspring. I hope I did an okay job.

The ratings will fluctuate but I'll let you know the rating of each chapter...its going to go from G-R.

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He was brilliant just like her and naturally talented just like him, a combination of both of their strongest traits.

Sasuke sighed watching the young students as they began trickling out of the academy located in the heart of Konoha. He was always last. Finally raven hair flew from the door of the academy excitement giving him that extra boost in his step. He was exactly like him in every way you could imagine except for bright green eyes that hid no emotion. He spotted his father and made a mad dash for him.

"Yusuke-kun!"

The young boy stopped with a semi-irritated look across his young face. On his back the Uchiha fan stood bold on the black material of his small shirt.

"Iruka-sensei, what now?" he furrowed his small brow tying to look upset but a smile played on his lips causing the Sensei to let out a chuckle. "Make sure you show Naruto your newest jutsu." He reminded him. "He'll be impressed."

"I know, that's why I'm in a hurry. I want to show Chichi too." Yusuke crossed his arms before turning to meet his father.

"See you tomorrow then." Iruka waved at the boy's now retreating back.

"He's already surpassed the class...just like before." Iruka smiled watching the boy approach his father then turned to clean up for the evening and tomorrow's lesson.

"Oooo-tooou-sannn!" The four year old took a giant leap at his father.

"Yusuke-kun, calm down." Sasuke held the fidgeting boy eye level with himself staring into deep pools of jade.

"But I mastered a new jutsu!" The corners of Sasuke's mouth turned up ever so slightly in an almost un-noticeable smile, pride was evident in his eyes though.

"Show me." He requested still looking into his son's anxious green eyes that were so much like hers. Yusuke reached with his toes trying to get to ground faster then Sasuke was putting him down. As soon as his outstretched legs hit the ground and his father supporting arms left him he began forming seals, his tongue peeked out between his lips as he concentrated. The bridge of his nose wrinkled up as well.

"Henge!"

Soon copies of Yusuke encircled Sasuke. "Good." Sasuke stepped forward and put a hand on the real Yusuke's head. The copies disappeared in a series of poofs leaving a beaming raven haired boy.

"Really? It wasn't that hard. Most kids only can get one, I've got ten!" Yusuke boasted shifting his weight from small foot to small foot.

"Good." Sasuke repeated sliding his hand down the front of Yusuke's face and pinching his nose before starting the walk home. "Yusuke-kun."

"We learned about you today too!" Yusuke ran slightly to catch up and reached for his hand when he caught him. He held tightly to two of Sasuke's fingers, it was the most his small hand could keep a solid grip on.

"About me?" Sasuke frowned and hoped to God they weren't getting into Konoha's history with Orochimaru and his momentary laps of sanity. They weren't really even supposed to speak of it. Sasuke hoped Iruka wasn't doing some out of the box teaching.

"Well, I guess sort of." Yusuke paused in thought. "Just about Anbu...but I already knew it all because of you. Everyone thought I was lucky because **my** Otousan is in Anbu." Yusuke was as talkative as ever, (another trait courtesy of his mother.)

"Aa." Sasuke quickened his pace towards the Uchiha home settled on the outskirts of Konoha pulling the smaller Uchiha along

'_Anbu.'_ Sasuke huffed in his mind at the term. _'Father.'_ Another huff.

Sasuke's positions as an Anbu Capitan still bothered him. Inside himself he knew he had no place still holding that rank, not now, not with him raising a son alone. I she was there maybe things would be different.

'_Parents should be parents, no A-classed ninjas.'_ Sasuke recalled this from a conversation he had with his wife before she had left on the mission she still hadn't returned from. She had said it out of frustration and he as usual, he remembered, had been stoic about the whole thing. Yusuke was barely six months old then and she had been assigned to one of Konoha's biggest missions of the year. He himself would have been sent if Yusuke wasn't involved in the picture. A medical ninja was needed and she being the only one of three active at that time, went.

Inside himself Sasuke knew being Yusuke's father should have been the only thing he needed to worry about but selfishly would not give it up. He'd worked hard to overcome the problems of his own childhood and to earn this rank. He deserved this position and he was managing find...at least he thought so.

"Otousan?"

Sasuke looked down at Yusuke.

"What?" He asked without much emotion.

"Wasn't Okasan an Anbu too?"

"Yes, a medical specialist."

"Oh..." She had been gone on what was supposed to be no longer then a week mission. Tsunade had always been helpful in making sure they were never sent out at the same time or on extremely long cases. She loved the Hokage for this and he despised her.

He was still playing the part of full time parent now he was just doing it alone. Not that he had ever had problems doing things on his own in the past. But that week turned into a month and the month turned quickly in to two and before he knew it Yusuke wasn't six months old anymore. He was a full four years old and she was still gone.

"What made you think of that?" Sasuke asked. The ebony hair shrugged in response.

"What is she like?" Yusuke began his barrage of questions. Sasuke closed his eyes and didn't answer the question right away.

"Oo. Tou. San." Yusuke let out impatiently pronouncing each syllable.

"Like you." The young Uchiha smiled at this not recognizing the look of grief on his father normally blank slate face. "She's heaven." Father and son shared a glance.

They had arrived home now and Sasuke was lazily peeling and slicing tomatoes as Yusuke peered at him from behind wisps of bangs.

"We're still going to train after my lesson tomorrow, right?" Yusuke perked up again. Sasuke sighed causing the boys smile to fail and his head to drop. He knew that reaction all to well.

"Sorry Yusuke, another time. I can't this time but next time I promise we'll do extra." Sasuke reached over with a finger and pushed Yusuke's small face up by the chin. "Okay?"

"Otousan, why?"

This response, simple as it was, triggered a painful memory. This was just like what his brother would tell him. His answer was the same as Itachi's had always been too.

"I just have a short mission. You'll be stay—"

"No! I don't want to stay with anyone!" The boy protested shaking his head.

"Yusuke, you're not staying here alone." Sasuke sighed, arguments, just what he needed before leaving.

"I don't want to, you have to stay too. I want you to stay...please." Sasuke reached up and rubbed his temples.

"You're staying with Hinata. Don't argue with me." Sasuke wasn't one for petty bickering.

Yusuke looked away from Sasuke and narrowed his eyes. "You're mean and I hate you!" With that he slipped off the stool headed for his room. Sasuke sighed and put down the knife he was cutting with. Parenting was one of the hardest things he had ever had to deal with. There were way too many emotions involved in it he decided.

"Yusuke." He stood at the end of the hall. "Yusuke..." He walked down the hall and leaned against his son's door frame.

The young Uchiha was packing away his things in his father's old pack he used as a Genin on their first few missions.

"Yusuke," the boy still wouldn't look up at him. "I'm...." he let out a deep sigh, "Sorry." With that the small boy's shoulders began to shake as he chocked out small sobs. He clung tightly to a shirt he was packing.

"Don't go, please. I don't hate you. Just don't go." Sasuke crossed the room and picked Yusuke up in his arms. "I know you don't" He places a small kiss on his forehead. "I don't want you to go and not come back like her. You'll go away forever just like her." Yusuke grasped tightly to Sasuke's shirt.

"You know that's not true. Stop it." He reached up and pinched Yusuke's nose. "I'll come back. Stop crying. Uchiha's don't cry." Yusuke did his best to stop his tears and whipped furiously at them with balled fists.

"This will be my last. I promise."

"You always promise." Yusuke leaned back out of his fathers grasp and looked at him skeptically with tear stained and flushed cheeks.

"I really do." Sasuke spoke in a lowered tone as he reached up and pushed Yusuke's long fringe back out of his eyes.

"Okay." Yusuke smiled and wrapped his arms tightly around his father's neck, resting his chin on his shoulder.

"Okay." This time a true smile.

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A lone Anbu slowly made her way through the tiny streets and walk ways of Konoha. The warm summer breeze blew through cotton candy pink locks.

"Three years is a long time..." She mumbled quietly looking up to the carved faces of past Hokages.

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Wa-ha! One down several to go! I'm sure you know who Yusuke's mother is. Please read and really feed the author's soul. XD

Thank you.

Jenn.


	2. You're mine

Oh no, another hard chapter as far as keeping things in character. Who was the tough one this time? Sakura, of course. It was really hard to know what her reaction would be to seeing her son so grown up. (well, sort of grown up) I guess I'm satisfied with it. I am really satisfied with the direction of the story. That's important.

Anyway, I do not own Naurto

**Current Chapter rating: G**

Please enjoy and review.

Jenn

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The Pink haired Anbu reached up to free a small leaf tangled into her hair and took in a deep breath. Right now there was one thing on her mind. Yusuke. She closed jade eyes tightly.

'_What is he like now, I wonder.'_ She smiled to herself slightly and brushed away a stray tear that had ran its way down her cheek at the thought of everything she left behind so unwillingly. She remembered how cruel the world ad seemed as the mission that ripped her from her budding family drug on. She didn't eve know what he had grown to look like. Was he handsome? Smart? Loved?

'_Of course he is all those things. He is our son.'_

She finally reached her place of destination and lifted a nervous hand to knock at the door before her. Although her family and son had been the first thing on her mind when she entered the village a feeling of uncertainty of the unknown took over her. The girl was so weak at first had become a strong woman for her family, for her husband, now felt like that same weak Genin she once was. She laughed at her self for being so stupid and afraid of the changes that had happened in her absence.

She knocked again a little harder this time soon it opened to a hysteric blonde.

"Ino!"

"Sakura! Oh my God!" The two embraced in a long tight hug. The blonde shinobi wasn't expecting this. Most had forgotten about that Anbu team that had left close to three years ago.

"I can't believe your really back." Ino released her friend from the death grip she had on her.

"I am." Sakura smiled. "Here I am." She gave a small shrug of the shoulders falling back into her normal routine with her long time friend.

"I was going to run some errands...but—"Ino began.

"Oh no, um, do you think I could go with you?" Sakura reached back and tied her hair with a black ribbon, it was long again now, she'd been growing it out since she'd become pregnant. She had kept it as a connection with home.

"I would just like to see the town again." Sakura admitted.

Ino smiled in return. "You're nervous about going home, aren't you?"

"A little bit." She clutched her mask to her chest. "I'm not sure what he'll think of me." She looked down, suddenly becoming interested in every contour of the aged Anbu mask.

Ino's eyes softened. "That's fine. But I'm not letting you hang out with me that long. You just need to buck up and go see Yusuke and Sasuke. They've waited so long for you." Ino sighed. "He's so cute."

"Hey!" Sakura shot a dagger glance in her direction and pursed her lips.

"Not Sasuke! Yusuke!" Ino scrunched up her nose and brushed past Sakura heading for the market. Sakura rolled her eyes and fallowed the girl she had been friends with for so many years.

Sakura's mind wandered as Ino took her time picking out flowers babbling about every piece of juicy gossip Konoha had to offer for the past three years.

"Sakura..." Ino paused. Sakura was in her own world. "...and then Uchiha Sasuke grew his hair long, took your eye liner and attempted to make himself look like his brother all while wearing your best evening dress." Nothing, Ino rolled her eyes and called her friends name again this time grabbing her attention.

"Hum?" Sakura looked up slightly dazed and stretched her arms out. "Which one?" She held up two flowers. Sakura pointed to the light blue daisy like flower in Ino's right hand.

"I think its time for you to go home." She tucked the flower behind her friend's ears and stepped back to admire it. Sakura reached up touching the soft petals with her finger tips and nodded.

"S-Sakura-chan?"

"Hinata!" Sakura swept the timid girl into a hug.

"When did you get back?" She asked quietly in her small voice.

"Only a little while ago, I was just headed home. I'm so glad to see you though, its been so long." Sakura finally let her out of the hug. Hinata smiled timidly.

"Hinata-san!"

Ino and Hinata exchanged quick glances then looked to Sakura who was unfazed by whom ever was seeking out Hinata.

"Baby sitting again, Hinata?" Ino winked.

"I...Yes I—"

"You spoil him so much." Ino said in a sing song voice.

"It's only a short mission, I don't mind doing it." Hinata explained. Sakura quirked an eyebrow at the two.

"Hinata!" The small voice came again, this time only louder.

"O-over here." Hinata turned and did her best to call over the voice.

"I want this." The owner to the particularly noisy voice came around the corner of the aisle holding a small box of candy. Sakura let out a small gasp.

Yusuke paused and looked her over, his brow wrinkled in thought.

'_Does he know me?'_ Sakura's heart pounded in her chest. He looked up into her eyes that matched his own.

"My Chichui is an Anbu." He stepped a little closer to her. "His name is—"

"Uchiha." Sakura finished. "Sasuke."

"How do you know?" Yusuke's eyes lit up and a smile spread across his small face at the mention of his father. "It's because you're an Anbu, right? You all know each other, don't you?" Sakura just stared at him as he blabbed on spouting information he had now doubt just learned in school about his father and Anbus. She heard a loud sniff from behind her and turned to see Ino and Hinata focused on them, Ino was dabbing at her eyes with a cloth.

"Uchiha Sasuke is very special to me." She found herself kneeling down in front of the boy. "So are you Yusuke-kun" She reached forward and pinched his nose. Yusuke went cross eyed and blinked a few times trying to readjust his vision.

"Uchiha, Sakura." She extended a hand, the other reached to scratch the back of her head. Yusuke looked to Hinata then back to Sakura.

'_This is my Okasan.' _He felt himself wanting to cry but remembering his father words.

'_Uchiha's don't cry.'_ He repeated it over and over in his head.

"This time I can't help it!" He threw himself forward into her arms.

"Okasan!" He sobbed into her shoulder and blubbered on about how much he had always wanted a mother and how his father had told her everything about her. Sakura didn't bother to brush away her tears this time. She looked up at Hinata and Ino beaming at the reunited Mother and son. Sakura gently reached up a hand and cradled the back of Yusuke's tiny head. Yusuke was still rambling on; she couldn't understand a word of what he was saying mixed in with his tears.

"Yusuke. Shhh." She moved her hands to his face cupping his cheeks and wiping tears as they fell from the even deeper jewel toned green eyes.

"You're really mine?" He held onto her tighter.

"Mmm. You're mine too." Sakura kissed his cheek. "My Yusuke."

"Hinata!" Hinata turned quickly to see Sasuke headed for them.

"Sasuke-kun?" He should have already left on his mission, what was he still doing here in Konoha. It must have been fait she decided.

"Hinata, Ten Ten told me you came down here. I declined the miss—"Sasuke paused and swallowed hard when he rounded the corner. "You're home."

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Thank you for all of your reviews. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too. Sorry to leave you with another crap-tastic cliffhanger. I really didn't mean to but it just seems so much better to end it that way.

Please review my story; it seriously makes me work like ten times faster.


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